Course Description:
A graduate student of clinical psychology and a research associate and co-facilitator for the Harbor-UCLA cancer anxiety trial with psilocybin, Alicia Danforth will provide an overview of the research from the late 1950s through the early 1970s on the use of LSD and psilocybin in the treatment of severe autism in children. She will also discuss the potential use of MDMA-assisted therapy as a supplement to treatment for individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

Biography of Presenter:

Alicia Danforth, Ph.D. candidate, is a clinical psychedelic researcher and writer. Since 2006, she has coordinated and co- facilitated treatment sessions for Dr. Charles Grob’s Harbor-UCLA cancer anxiety trial with psilocybin. She also oversees a nationwide web-based recruitment effort for a similar trial currently underway at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Inspired by the results of this work, Alicia began a Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (ITP) in Palo Alto. She was a speaker on the Rising Researchers panel at the World Psychedelic Forum in 2008. She has also given talks and workshops related to her research and the broader psychedelic community at Burning Man, Horizons, Symbiosis, and the Women’s Visionary Council Salon. She also published an original manuscript on using Focusing-oriented psychotherapy techniques as part of preparation for psychedelic therapy sessions in the spring, 2010, edition of the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology.

Date of original release: April 18, 2010
Termination date (date after which enduring material is no longer certified for credit): April 17, 2012

True/False Comprehension Quiz

Question

Answer

The research on psychedelics and Aspergers reviewed by Danforth showed no documentable post-session gains in language but there was an increase in eye-to-face contact (sociability) between the participant and the examiner.

TrueFalse

Danforth argues that psilocybin has the potential to cure autism.

TrueFalse

According to Danforth, many of the challenges associated with Aspergers relate directly to the effects of MDMA. For example where one of the major Aspergers challenges is empathy deficit, MDMA has been shown to increase feelings of empathy.

TrueFalse

Danforth argues that post-session integration is not helpful when MDMA is to be used as an adjunct to psychotherapy to treat autism.